Page 27 of Stars May Burn

In the courtyard, I could hear the noise of the crowd even before the gates of the inner wall were opened. Four guards pushed them apart to reveal a path cleared and lined by the city guard straight to a small wooden receiving platform in the main square that must have been erected overnight. As I stepped beyond the inner wall into the city, the noise turned to a roar.

My breath caught. An enormous bustle of activity filled not only the square but flooded down every street as far as I could see, despite the growing heat. Children sat on roofs or waved from the shoulders of adults. Some people had set up food stalls around the perimeter; others filled buckets of water from the central fountain and handed out ladles full. Many of the people wore loose clothing in pale browns and creams with pale wraps around the women’s hair, but plenty of others contrasted in bright silk drapes and tunics. A pair of women wore dresses that seemed to be made of colorful beads. All of them were pointing to me in excitement.

“What do they want from me?” My words came out breathy and weak but somehow Meena heard them over the deafening noise. She wasn’t even watching my lips, her eyes relentlessly scanning the crowd.

“They want to give you their blessings. Many will have gifts.”

I blinked in surprise. “Gifts?”

She turned to face me with a slight frown. “For your wedding. You’re their lady, and they wish to welcome you.”

“Oh.” Warmth flooded my stomach along with a hint of discomfort. These people didn’t owe me anything. I had done nothing for them yet and wasn’t even sure what they needed from me.

“They want to do this even though my husband is away?”

Meena smiled as she walked. “They’re more than used to his business and absences. To them, he’s untouchable and bound in mystery. That’s one of the reasons they’re so happy you’ve come.” She leaned closer as we reached the platform. “Are you happy to meet them in person? The first fifty or so, anyway. It would mean a lot to them.”

I swallowed, relieving my dry throat, eager to try my best. “Of course.”

My throat was becoming parched from talking for so long in the dusty heat, despite the shade of the awning above me. Still the crowd surged endlessly around the platform, the noon sun and lack of shade doing nothing to deflate their enthusiasm.

I clutched the bouquet of wildflowers, trying to not be distracted by the unusual ones. It had always been hard to find wildflowers in the capital.

I focused back on the nervous lady in front of me. “You lost your husband too?”

“Yes, my lady. But the general did us good. Me and my four little ones. May the Heavens bless him.”

I smiled my thanks, and she bobbed a curtsy before me. I turned to the next man who walked with a crutch; one arm hung limply at his side. Before I realized what he intended, he grabbed my hand and kissed the back, his stubble grazing my soft skin. “Bless you, my lady. Bless the general.”

I smiled, though my chest was tightening as I started to feel overwhelmed by all the emotions pouring out of these people. “Thank you.”

The man beat his chest in an impassioned gesture. “He saved my life and gave me work. I should have died on the field. You treat him well, my lady.”

I nodded, words barely leaving my mouth before he was replaced by a woman and her daughter. They handed me a quilt.

“Our street got together and made it for you, my lady. A wedding present. We know it’s nothing fine, but we wanted to show how grateful we are that you’ve come.”

Her expression was so earnest and her daughter’s so excited that tears pricked my eyes as I thanked them.

A man with pale skin and a haunted look silently stared at me with hollow eyes as he approached holding a blade in one hand. I glanced at Meena in concern, but she only gave me a small nod as if she knew him. I focused on the man who handed me the simple dagger before nodding and melting back into the crowd.

Person after person came until my voice croaked, and my feet were sore. A wave of dizziness forced me to throw a pleading look at Meena, who thankfully understood and expertly freed me from the crowd. I followed her down a pathway from the back of the platform into a nearby building, some sort of official office, which was blessedly quiet as soon as the door was shut. A seat waited for me at a table with a heaped platter of cold food and a goblet of water flavored by an orange slice. My stomach clenched eagerly.

Meena pulled back the chair. “Rest here, my lady. When you have regained your energy, we can head back to the castle.”

I drank the water in one go and was glad Miss Claris wasn’t here to witness such bad manners. I wondered if I would ever get used to this heat. “Meena, please eat with me.”

The guard hesitated before pulling up a second chair and helping herself to some chicken legs as I selected a miniature cheese pastry. While I’d handed many of the gifts to the guards, I placed the ones I still carried on the table. My eyes fell on the silent man’s dagger. The metal was dull, almost black. The hilt was metal instead of wood or leather, which would make it hard to grip, and it bore dozens of uneven tiny marks in rows.

Meena followed my gaze. “It’s ceremonial. A freisk knife.”

I ran my finger over the rough marks on the hilt. “What is it, exactly? I’ve never heard that term before.”

Meena helped herself to a chunk of bread. “Many of the people here have been to war with your husband. Most are in his regiment. Some are in his personal battalion. Others are men and women he has helped. The general may appear harsh, but he’s also compassionate. He has saved the lives of many, and cared for the relatives of those he couldn’t. As such, he has won fierce loyalty.”

I nodded, I had gathered that much from the people I'd spoken with. I waited for her to link this information to the knife.

She reached into her boot and pulled out a similar knife in the same dull black metal. “Well, these knives have become an unofficial tradition encouraged by Callum, who makes them out of Yadum. It’s a custom adapted from Tyrazastan. The fact this man has given you his freisk knife is a sign his loyalty extends to you, also. It was a grand gesture. It means he would die for you.”

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